Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho were involved in a dramatic swap deal on deadline day last summer, with the latter departing Manchester United to join Chelsea on loan
Jadon Sancho of Manchester United instructs team mates during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on August 26, 2023 in Manchester, England.
Jadon Sancho was part of a last-minute deadline day move in 2024 - could the same happen this year?
(Image: Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho made a last-minute switch from Manchester to London in 2024, allowing a former Manchester City star to head to a Premier League rival on loan.
The Manchester United winger was permitted to join Chelsea on loan last summer after Raheem Sterling swapped south-west London for the north, heading to Arsenal on transfer deadline day. The previous year's deadline day was rife with unexpected moves in the Premier League, with Chelsea's dramatic dealings making headlines.
Two deals involving Chelsea, Arsenal, and United saw Sancho and Sterling relocate to different parts of London on loan for the upcoming season. As the transfer window came to a close, the Red Devils issued a brief statement acknowledging Sancho's departure, with the final message reading: "We wish Jadon good luck for the campaign to come."
The 25-year-old winger, who is now back at Old Trafford, finalised a last-minute loan move to Stamford Bridge. This occurred after it became apparent that he was not included in then-manager Erik ten Hag's plans for the club, after spending the latter half of the previous season on loan back to Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea bid farewell to Sterling to allow Sancho to join on loan, after Enzo Maresca made it clear he wasn't part of his plans for the upcoming campaign. The Blues boss had secured the signings of Pedro Neto and Joao Felix, and Sancho's signing was the final piece of Maresca's jigsaw for the 2024/25 season.
Stamford Bridge was Sancho's preferred destination, with Chelsea agreeing to a purchase obligation of £23 million if certain objectives were achieved. The fee represented a significant decrease from the £73.5m that the club shelled out in the summer of 2021 to bring Sancho to Manchester, but his time at Old Trafford had been underwhelming.
Jadon Sancho of Chelsea celebrates after the UEFA Conference League Final 2025 between Real Betis Balompie and Chelsea FC at Stadion Wroclaw on May 28, 2025 in Wroclaw, Poland.
Jadon Sancho spent last season on loan at Chelsea but they opted against signing him permanently
(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Sancho scored just 12 goals and provided six assists in 83 appearances, which led to a dramatic drop in his market value. In the meantime, Sterling found himself back with an old friend at Arsenal; manager Mikel Arteta, who had spent considerable time working under Pep Guardiola during Sterling's seven-year stint with Manchester City.
Sterling's deal did not include an option or obligation to buy, meaning he would return to Chelsea at the end of the 2024/25 season regardless of his performance in north London.
During his tenure at Arsenal, the forward managed just one goal and assisted five times in 28 appearances across all competitions, including the Champions League. Sterling was used sparingly, making contributions in the League Cup and the Premier League - but ultimately finished the season trophyless.
Meanwhile, Sancho had a more influential year with Chelsea, scoring five goals and providing 10 assists in 41 appearances both domestically and in Europe. The majority of the winger's goals were scored in the Premier League, but it was his performances in the knockout stages of the Conference League that really stood out for the Blues.
Raheem Sterling of Arsenal during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre on May 10, 2025 in London Colney, England.
Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal on loan to allow Sancho to head to London
(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
After reaching the Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund during his loan spell in the 2023/24 season - a match they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid - Sancho found himself in another European final, this time with Chelsea.
The Blues took on Real Betis - and fellow United loanee Antony - in the final, and they dispatched the Spanish side with ease, winning 4-1 with Sancho scoring the third goal in the 83rd minute of the match.
However, despite his contribution to their trophy-winning campaign, Chelsea chose to pay a fee to United to avoid triggering Sancho's buyout clause, as they remained unconvinced by the winger.
Jadon Sancho of Manchester United reacts after missing penalty during the 2024 FA Community Shield shoot out between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2024 in London, England.
Jadon Sancho is back at United for now(Image: Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Sancho is now part of Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad', with the club still attempting to arrange a transfer for the winger who doesn't feature in the Portuguese manager's future plans.
Sancho has already rejected moves to Roma and Besiktas but is reportedly on the radar of several clubs, while Sterling also finds himself surplus to requirements at Chelsea.
With both players in challenging situations at their respective clubs, there's every possibility they could be involved in a dramatic deadline-day move once again - with Amorim pushing hard to trim his squad and raise funds for some last-minute deals himself.
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